2011 Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design Road Test - VIDEO ENHANCED

2011 Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH CAREY RUSS

Volvo's press events are always noteworthy for the amount of seat time
involved. Some other manufacturers may have as little as an hour or two of
drive time, and four or five is typical, with a couple hundred miles of
mostly back roads covered.

2011 Volvo XC60 T6 R-Design

Volvo's recent "2011 XC Adventure" was anything but typical.
Participating in that, my driving partner and I drove a 2011 XC60 T6
R-Design, the premium model of Volvo's most popular crossover, from Los
Angeles to Gateway, CO, in two long days. The first day was a freeway slog
from LAX (Los Angeles airport) to St. George, UT, all on I-15. The second
day was much more interesting. Forget the slab - we went south from St.
George through Zion National Park, and then north on US89 through more
mountains and high plateaus until getting back on I-70 to head to Grand
Junction, CO. Toss in a little light-duty dirt road side trip for extra
fun. All through spectacular Basin and Range scenery - basin followed by
range followed by basin followed by range over a stretching spreading
center than may be a future sea. Gateway is 45 or so miles south of Grand
Junction, through more geological wonderland and in an area of water- and
wind-eroded Permian/Triassic red rock canyonlands as beautiful as the area
around Sedona, AZ, but without the encumbrance of multi-million dollars
homes, New Age crystal shoppes, and woo-woo energy vortices.

That was just under 1000 miles in two days, maybe eight hours on the
road the first day and ten the second. Yes we stopped, for fuel, food, and
photography. But, that said, that amount of time in a car can be cruel and
unusual punishment. Any seats are tolerable for an hour, and most for two
or three. Few are comfortable for eight or ten, repeatedly. Volvo seats are
among those few, and, in my experience, at the top of the list.

Another recommending attribute of the XC60 T6 for long-distance touring
is its drivetrain. At over 4200 pounds, the small Volvo crossover is no
lightweight, but the 300-horsepower 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six moves
it smartly. And the 325 lb-ft of torque developed between 2100 and 4200
rpm, the most-commonly used engine speeds, means instant, strong response
from any speed. Turbocharging means no loss of power at altitude, and with
a few five- to eight-thousand foot passes on the route and Gateway being at
around a mile in altitude there was ample opportunity for medium-high
altitude driving.

A six-speed automatic transmission means both good acceleration -- the
official 0-60 time is 6.9 seconds -- and good fuel economy are available.
EPA mileage estimates are 17mpg city, 22 highway. We got 24 overall for the
trip, according to both the car's trip computer and our refueling stop
calculations. The speed limit on the Utah Interstate is 75 mph, and that
was the T6's sweet spot for highway cruising. Add in the slow, tight road
through Zion, and all of the elevation changes, with some steep grades, and
we're talking real world, not EPA "highway cycle" simulated 50 mph on a
chassis dynamometer.

Also working in the XC60's favor for distance in comfort are interior
ergonomics and design. Elegant simplicity is the design theme, think
Swedish Modern furniture. It's not austere, but neither is it needlessly
over-detailed and distractingly complex. Style does not trump function, and
all controls are simple and intuitive, unlike some of its German
competitors.

Our drive vehicle was the R-Design model, which is a cosmetic and
functional upgrade over the standard T6, adding upgraded interior trim and
a firmer suspension calibration and quicker steering. It's firm enough for
good control with minimal body roll, and comfortable enough for repeated
long days on less-than-perfect road surfaces. Low interior noise levels
further aid comfort, and the XC60's muscular shape is resistant to
crosswinds. Yes, it gets a little windy out in that part of the world -
look up "Wyoming wind sock" some time… Not a problem in an XC60.

Click PLAY to watch video

Interior space… with two people, one (me) traveling almost
ultralight with a medium-sized messenger bag and small camera bag (a
last-minute addition for camera and iPod storage due to addition of layers
after checking the latest Gateway weather forecast before leaving to find
that "85 and sunny" had changed to "55 with rain") and driving partner with
a standard roll-aboard and large camera bag, no problem. Even for a family
of four, or five with smaller children, ditto. Rear seat room's good,
especially headroom, and there's no lack of luggage space behind that. Roof
rails allow some external storage if really necessary, but then the double,
"panorama" sunroof view would be obscured. Any rear-seat passengers would
have had a treat through Zion.

The XC60 is a Volvo, so safety, both active and passive, is designed and
built in. Besides the standard sturdy, crashworthy construction and
antilock disc brakes, there are a number of high-tech safety options
included in the Technology Package, including Collision Warning with Full
Auto Brake, Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake, Distance Alert (DA),
Driver Alert Control (DAC), and Lane Departure Warning (LDW). And those
comfortable, supportive seats also improve safety, as a driver undistracted
by aches and pain will be more alert than one who has been victim of poor
seats.

An early model year 2010 introduction, the XC60 has some important
changes for 2011. The naturally-aspirated 3.2-liter inline six gets five
more horsepower, for 240, in ULEV-rated versions. Those rated PZEV get the
same increase, for 230 hp. There are some trim changes to the standard 3.2
model, and a new R-Design model with the same interior, exterior, and
suspension upgrades as the T6, but in a less-expensive naturally-aspirated,
front-wheel drive package.

The T6 engine, as mentioned, also gets more power, an additional 19
horsepower and 30 lb-ft of torque. The standard T6 has some cosmetic
changes; the T6 R-Design is unchanged except for the addition of a cargo
cover and power folding rear head restraints to the Convenience
Package.

In any form, the Volvo XC60 will satisfy the needs of anyone who wants a
medium-sized crossover with style, power, handling, comfort, and good fuel
economy. And let's not forget Volvo seats - I was painfully aware of the
difference between them and airplane seats all the way home.